In preparation for tomorrow's NBA Draft, SUPERSONICS.COM spoke with Sonics Coach
Nate McMillan and Director of Player Personnel Dave Pendergraft to get their takes on some of the players likely to be taken in the first half of the first round of the Draft.
“I rate players into the following categories,” Pendergraft said, prefacing his comments. “Roster player, then in the rotation, then starter, then All-Star.”
"He's got a chance to be an All-Star."
Stephen Dunn/Getty
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Emeka Okafor
DAVE: I think he’s got a chance to be an All-Star.
Dwight Howard
DAVE: I think his upside is All-Pro.
Luol Deng
DAVE: He’s got great athleticism. … He’s the jack of all, master of none. He’s pretty talented, long, has good size … It’s difficult to project him as an All-Star.
Andre Iguodala
DAVE: He has a chance to be an All-Star.
Josh Childress
DAVE: Starter.
Devin Harris
DAVE: Rotational player.
Ben Gordon
DAVE: Starter.
Luke Jackson
DAVE: Starter.
"At least starter."
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Shaun Livingston
DAVE: That body’s so far away. At least starter. He’s got some potential.
Al Jefferson
DAVE: That’s tough. Somewhere between starter and All-Star. Conservatively, I’ll say starter. Now watch him become Shawn Kemp.
NATE: I like the way he works, he’s got some ability. … Al is raw. He is a raw young fella that has the potential. I liked his hustle going after the ball when he worked out for us last weekend. He relentlessly goes after the ball.
Josh Smith
DAVE: Also tough. He’s a freak of nature. … At least a starter. If we took him, I’d be happier than heck.
David Harrison
DAVE: He came in here for a workout and he could outrun guards. He’s got real short arms, he can’t even put his arms in his pants, but he’s up there touching the rim. He can jump out of the gym.
Kirk Snyder
DAVE: At the worst, let's say you take him in the lottery and you're completely wrong on him, his basement is Gerald Wilkins. I think that's the God-fearing worst, and Wilkins played 14 seasons in the NBA.
Andris Biedrins
NATE: He had a pretty good workout for use. He’s got nice size and will play with his back to his basket. … Raw.
Rafael Araujo
NATE: I would compare him to Vitaly (Potapenko). He's physical and he can shoot the ball from the perimeter. On defense, he won't block a lot of shots, but he's big, he clogs the lane.
